Material-moving apparatus



Dern 3, 1929. J B, SCHUB 1,738,211

MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Dec. 3; 1929. J. B. scHAUB 1,738,211

MATERIAL MOVING APPARATUS Filed June 23. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f Z157,Z. ff

['72 fenelozfa' einen Week DGC- 3,1929 J. B. scHAUB 1,738,211

MATERIAL MOVING 'PPARATUS Filed June 23. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ian' Dec-3, 1929- J. B. scHAuB 1,738,211

MATERIAL MOVING' APPARATUS Filed June 2s. 1927 4 sheets-sheet 4 PatentedDec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES B. SCHAUB, OF WILMETTE,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO T. W. SNOW CONSTRUCTION CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A CORPORATION OBE ILLINOIS MATERIAL-MOVING APPARATUS Application filedJune 23,

My invention relates to material-moving apparatus, in general; but moreespecially to apparatus in which the material to be moved is positionedin a hopper from which the material is dischargeable to material-movingmeans, as tor example a movable receptacle, for transferring thematerial to another location, as tor example from a hopper located belowa railroad track and provided to receive cin'ders from a locomotive, toa point et discharge above a cinder-receiving car.

My primary object generally stated is to provide novel and simpleimprovements in apparatus ot the general character above stated to theend that the apparatus may be rendered more compact and more econoinical et construction and function in an improved manner. Certain ofmy specific objects are to provide such a construction oit apparatus ofthe general character' stated, and in which the movable receptacle iscaused to travel from a substantially horizontal path through asubstantially vertical path, that it will occupy the minimum amount ofspace, which is of especial importance where the apparatus is used as apart of railway track equipment where it is necessary to conserve `spaceto the maximum; to provide a construction of apparatus ol the generalcharacter stated in which the various tracks including those by whichthe receptacle is caused to become positioned for dumping, are arranged,at each side ot the apparatus in alignment, thereby economizing in the`cost ot' construction; to provide for a simple arrange ment of tracksof such torni that the receptacle may move to dumping position, withoutrequiring the rollers thereon to bebitset laterally relative to eachother,` and without involving the movement ot the rollers inintersecting paths; to provide an arrangement ot parts wherebycross-shafts for guiding rollers so positioned as to be engaged by thematerial discharged into the bucket, are dispensed with; to provide sucha construction of bucket of the type adapted to receive the materialwhen positioned on its side and when turned on its end to retain andcarry the material, that it affords a chute portion at its discharge endand in use the spilling ot 1927. Serial No. 200,993.

the material from the bucket in the loading thereof and its movementtoward dischargmg position, will be prevented; to provide a bucket ofthis type of such form and con struction `that the curved portions ofthe tracks along which it moves from filling to raising position, may bemade relatively abrupt and thereby econoinize in the space occupied bythe apparat-us; to provide such a type ot' bucket in which allowance forvariations in the angle at which the material becomes reposed in thebucket at the discharge en'd thereof, to avoid spilling of the contentsof the bucket, may be reduced to the minimum, and thus permit ot the useot a relatively short bucket for any given load, thereby not onlyreducing the cost of constructing the bucket but also aiding, as one ofthe factors, in permitting oi the use oi abruptly curved track portionsat the lower ends of the upwardly extending tracks; to provide for suchau arrangement of tracks and cooperating bearing members on the bucketin an apparatus ofthe general type above stated, that the discharge,chute, portion of the bucket may be caused to extend outwardly from thetrack-equipped tower portion a relatively great distance, in thedischarging position of the bucket, without requiring the supporting otthe load oi the bucket at any time at a relatively great distance fromthe upwardly extending tracks and the supportingot' this load closelyadjacent to, and preferably within, the contines of the tower, in thefinal dumping position of the bucket; and other objects as will bemanifest from the following Idescription As a preface to the followingdescription, it may be stated that I have devised my improvements forembodiment, more particm larly, in soscalled cindering apparatus,adapted to receive, and dispose of, the cinders discharged fromlocomotives during the cleaning out of the fire boxes thereof,v andthereafter elevate the cinders to a point et discharge above a trackupon which the cinder-recevng car runs, and have, therefore, chosen toillustrate it in such an apparatus.`

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in sectionalelevation of a plant of the character stated and embodying myimprovements.v Figure 2 is an enlarged broken section taken at theirregular line 2-2 on Fig. l and viewed in the dip rection of thearrows. Figure 3 is a broken view in side elevation of the tower portionof the apparatus. Figure 4 is an enlarged plan sectional view of thethree tracks shown in Fig. 3, the section being taken at the line 4-4 onFig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. Figure 5 is a viewlike Fig. 1 of a modification of the structure shown therein; and Figure6, a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the apparatusshown in Fig. 5, that portion of the apparatus which is shown inelevation being viewed from the left-hand side of this figure and thatpart which is shown in section being viewed along the line 6-6 on Fig. 5in the direction of the arrows.`

In the particular arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, arailway track for receiving the locomotives tojbe discharged of theircinders, is represented at 10 and a track upon which thecinder-receiving ear is to run,

at11. vLocated below the track 10 is a pit 12 which extends laterallybeyond this track at both sides thereof. Located in the space betweenthe rails forming the track 10, and positioned in the upper part of thepit 12, is a hopper 13 into which the cinders discharged from thelocomotives positioned thereover,

' dump, the bottom of this hopper being open to provide a .dischargeoutlet controlled by gates as hereinafter described. f

The receptacle for receiving the cinders from the hopper 13, and shownin the form Voffa bucket,`is represented at 14, its upper side,considering thebucket as positioned on `its side'for filling, being openpart way from the right-.hand en'dlthereofin' Fig. 1, to receivetherethrough the cinders from the hopper, when' the bucket is positionedbeneath the latter as shown'inFig. 1. The bucket 14 is movable, undercontrol, in a direction crosswise of the track 10 and upwardly inVrighted condition along a tower portion 15 in s aced relation to, theopposite sides of the buc ret land above the lower side of the bucket,viewing it in Fig. 1, as shown in this figure and in Fig. 2, theserollers being shown as journalled on a shaft 16a, secured in anysuitable way, to the bottom portion of the bucket. The side of thebucket opposite that containing the opening through which the materialis discharged into the bucket, and which side extends lowermost when thebucket is positioned as shown in Fig. l, inelines toward the opposite,open, side thereof,

namely, upwardly in Fig. 1, as represented located at opposite sidesthereof with their upper surfaces (in Fig. 1) approximately in 'linewith the upper surfaces of the rollers 18, all of the rollers 16, 18 and20 being in alignment at opposite sides of the bucket as shown in Fig.2.

The various rollers referred to cooperate with supporting and guidingdouble rail tracks which are located in the pit 12 and extend upwardlytherefrom into the tower portion 15, these tracks being represented at21, 22 and 23 and located at opposite sides of the pit and tower. Theportions of these tracks which are located in the pit and extend beneathand to opposite sides of the hopper 13 are positioned substantiallyhorizontally and parallel with each other in spaced relation as shown.At their forward ends each inclines abruptly upwardly and away from thehopper 13 as represented at 21a, 22a, and 23, the lower ends of theseinclined track sections where they connect with the front ends of thehorizontal sections thereof being abruptly curved as shown. The upperends of the inclined track sections 21" and 22a connect with the lowerends of vertical track sections 21b and 22b of the tracks 21 and 22which extend upwardly in the tower `portion 15 to a point adjacent theupper eX- tremity of the latter. The upper end of the inclined doublerail track section 23 connects, at opposite sides of the tower, 4withthe lower end of a double rail track section 23h, forming a part of thetrack 23, the lower end of which, represented at 23C, inclinesdownwardly and outwardly as shown, and the upper end of whichrepresented at 23d inclines upwardly and outwardly and terminates in asubstantially horizontal double track portion 23 located some distancebelow the upper ends of the track sections 21b and 22h, the portion ofthe track section 23" intermediate the portions 23 and 23d thereof beingvertical and parallel with the track sections 2lb and 22".

Located directly above the track portion 23, at opposite sides of thetower and in spaced parallel relation with this track portion is adouble rail track section 24 which extends substantially from the tracksection 22h to the upper ends of the straight track portion 23d; andlocated above the track 24, at opposite sides of the tower, is a doublerail track ratus may be made very compact, as distin guished fromconstructions wherein the bucket is required to move through a longsweeping turn in moving into and out of its vertical path of movement,this feature being of particular importance where the apparatus is to beinstalled along railway roadbeds where the space available for suchinstallations is usually quite meager and further'- more results inreduced cost of construction.

It will be noted that by constructing an apparatus in accordance with myinvention the discharge portion of the bucket may be caused to extendlaterally beyond the tower as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, arelatively great distance without requiring that the load imposed by thebucket on the supporting structure along which the bucket travels, besupported at any time a relatively great distance from the tower andfurthermore permits of the supporting of such load within the confinesof the tower in the final dumping of the bucket. This is made possibleby reason of the provision of three sets of rollers and the arrangementof the tracks as shown and described, whereby the bucket is supported bythe rollers 18 only during the beginning` of the dumping movement andduring the latter part of the righting movement of the bucket, and therollers 20, cooperating with the track 2V, support the bucket during thelatter part of the dumping movement and the beginning of the rightingmovement. The rollers 18 may thus be positioned at a remote distancefrom the discharge end of the bucket and a track section i3e ofrelatively short length as shown may be used, as distinguished from aconstruction in which the bucket is supported throughout its turningmovements on a single set of rollers.

As regards the feature of providing the bucket with an inclined side 17,a bucket so formed not only provides a clearance serving the purposehereinbefore recited, but also reduced the need, in the designing of thebucket, of allowing for as great variations in the angles of repose ofthe material at the discharge end of the bucket, as is necessary in thecase of buckets the corresponding side portion of which, in the fillingposition of the bucket, extends substantially horizontall it being notedthat where such side of the bucket is substantially horizontal thedistance therefrom to the top of the material superposed thereon is muchgreater adjacent the discharge outlet than in the case of a bucketformed in accordance with my invention, this being a matter ofconsiderable practical importance as the angles of repose of differentkinds of material and material in different conditions, varies, andallowance therefore must be made in designing the bucket to avoidspillinff of the contents thereof in the movement of the bucket to thepathin which it travels upwardly; this feature also being of importanceas it permits of the bucket being made shorter for any given load. An`other advantage resulting from the inclined side wall portion asreferred to is that it permits of the loading into the bucket of wet material without the risk of the material running out of the discharge endof the bucket.

Referring to the structure shown in Figs. 5

and 6 and which present-s the features of advantage above pointed out,the arrangement therein shown is substantially the same as that shown inthe preceding figures, except that the track portions 21, 22 and 23instead of being horizontal, incline slightly downwardly away from thetower portion, and a different type of tower and a different hoistingmeans are provided. The type of tower shown in these figures need not bedescribed inasmuch as it does not constitute any feature of my inventionand the construction thereof appears to be obvious. As regards thehoisting mechanism, provision is made for controlling the bucket by alift cable, as distinguished from the endless sprocket chain arrangementof the preceding figures. This lift cable mechanism comprises cables 100and 101 which connect with the shaft- 16a at opposite sides of thebucket 14 and thence extend around pulleys 102 and 103 and up* wardlyaround pulleys 104 and 105, respectively, and thence down to the drum106 of a hoisting mechanism represented generally at 107, it beingunderstood that the bucket is raised to the dotted dumping posit-ionshown in Fig. 5 by drawing up on the cables 100 and 101, and ispermitted to lower to the full line position shown in this figure byslackening these cables.

While I have illustrated and described cer tain particular' embodimentsof my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit itthereto as the invention may be utilized in other embodiments withoutldeparting from the spirit thereof.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a bucket,and bucket guid ing means along which said bucket is movable, soconstructed and arranged that when the bucket is in lowermost, filling,position it is positioned on its side and in moving along said meansmoves toward righted position, one side of said bucket being partlyclosed and the opposite side thereof inclinin toward said partly closedside and toward the discharge end of the bucket, said partly closed sideextending from the base of the bucket upwardly above the beginning ofthe inclined portion of said opposite side.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a bucket,and bucket guiding means along which said bucket is movable, soconstructed and arranged that when the bucket is in lowermost, filling,position it 25 presenting a downwardly and outwardly inclined doublerail section ,25,aL which `extends from theltrack' section 22boutward-ly to a pointrin substantial alignment with the trackl section24, but in vertically spaced relation to theglatter as shown, the rearend oi the track. 25 .terminating `in a kvertical section 2'5", 4

The various track sections referred to are shown as formed of angleirons, the flanges on the track ysections 21 and 22 and the exten sionsthereof extending toward each other to form channels; the flanges on thetrack section 23Y`and the extensions thereof extending yupwardly andtoward the track section 22.; the flanges on the track section 24extending toward the track portion 23d; and the flanges on the track 25.extending upwardly( .The rollers 16 rollingly fit within the channelprovided by the tracks 21and 22k and their extensions; the rollers 18operate against the track 28 and its extension and the rollers 2(1)-`against the undersides and the outer surfaces of thetraek 22 and itsextension'. The arrangement of the, rollers and tracks is such, asdescribed, that in the, movement of the bucket from the position shownin Fig. 1 toward dumping position, the bucket is first moved along asubstantially horizontal path Yand as it-s rollers 16 and 18 engage thelower inclined ,portions of the tracks, the bucket is partly righted andupon engaging the vertical portions. of the tracks is fully righted..Vhen thebucket risesY to a point where its rollers 18 and 20 `engageythe inclined track 24, the bucket, upon continuing its upward.movement,'tilts outwardly, its rollers 1G continuing their movementthrough a vertical path between the track portions 21"l and 22".

`The rollers 18, as the rear, or bottom, portion of the bucket continuesto rise, move out onto the horizontal portions 28e or' the tracks, and

as the rear, or bottom, portion of the bucket continues to rise, thebucket moves at its outer discharge end back toward the tower, therollers 2() engaging `with the track 25 and the rollers 18 passingbeneath this track so that the bucket in the final elevating move- Vmentoccupies the dotted line position represented in Fig. 1 in which itdumpsits con'- tents yabove the track 11. ln the lowering of the bueketittilts upwardly at its discharge end, the rollers 2() running out Vontothe track section 25 and the rollers 18 engaging the track portion 28e,and when the rollers 16 in loweringon the tracksv 21 and 22h move belowthe plane ot the rollers 18, the` latter move down the track section 23dand right t-he bucket which then continues. its downward movement inrighted condition until the inclined sections 21, 22a, andI 23av ot thetracks are reached, .whereupon the bucket tilts Vtoward horizontalposition which latter position is reached upon the engagement of therollers with the horizontal portions of the tracks.

The receptacle 14 may be moved into and out of the various positionsstated by any suitable hoisting and lowering means such for example asthat shown more or less diagrammatically in the drawings and involving ahoisting machine represented generally at 26 which is mounted on theupper end of the tower 15 and drives sprockets 27 at opposite sidesofthe tower over which endless sprocket chains 28 extend. These chainsextend downwardly through the tower and engage sprockets 29, 80, 81 and'32 ournalled on stationary parts of the vapparatus to extend adjacent;the inclined track sections 21, 22, and 28, and terminal sprockets 33joui-nailed in the pit 12 beyond the point to which the bucket moves,these sprocket-chains being rigidly connected in any desirable way, withthe ends of the shaft 16a.

In the operation of the apparatus rotation of the drum 27 in onedirection operates to move the bucket 14 from the position shown in Fig.1 along the tracks and up into dump ing position, and rotation in theopposite direction returns the bucket to the position shown in thisligure, any suitable means, as will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art, beine provided for effecting the drive of this drumin opposite directions ior the purpose stated.

The hopper 13 is preferably provided with valve mechanism of anysuitable type, controlling its outlet, that shown comprising sectionalswinging gate-valves Bel movable into and out of hopper-closing positionand controlled in any suitable manner, as for example rom a revolubleshaft 85 having eccentric connections with valve-operating levers 36connected with the valves 34, rotation of the shaft 35 in one directionopening the gate valves and rotation in the opposite direction closingthese valves.

It will be noted from the foregoing description that all of. the rollersat each side of the bucket, are arranged in the same plane andconsequently the tracks with which they cooperate are located in thesame plane, due to the fact that none of these rollers are required tocross the path oiz other rollers in the operation of dumping the`bucket,this -feature being desirable from a practica-l standpoint as itsimplifies the structure and re- (luces` the cost of construction.

Furthermore, the provision of the rollers as described in combinationwith the inclining of. the side of the bucket as shown at 17, is otadvantage as the bucket may be caused to make a sharp turn, withoutobstruction, in moving from the substantially horizontal path throughwhich it moves on its side in the pit, to the substantially verticalpath through which it moves, in righted position, in moving in thetower, and thus the appais positioned on its side and in moving alongsaid means moves toward righted position, said bucket having one sidepartly closed and the opposite side thereof formed of portions extendingin diHerent planes, one of said p0rtions inelning toward said partlyopen side and the discharge end of said bucket, said partly closed sideextending from the base of the bucket upwardly above the base of saidinclining portion.

JAMES B. SCHAUB.

